Saturday, March 31, 2012

This photo from Marilyn Monroe's 1954 film "River of No Return," which was filmed in Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, both in Alberta, Canada, is one of the photos from the collection of her makeup artist, Allan "Whitey" Snyder, which will be auctioned by Julien's Auctions on March 31 and April 1.

The seemingly benign appearance that this figurine presents is deceptive. To the ancient Egyptians, the hippopotamus was one of the most dangerous animals in their world. The huge creatures were a hazard for small fishing boats and other rivercraft.

This example was one of a pair found in a shaft associated with the tomb chapel of the steward Senbi II at Meir. Three of its legs have been restored because they were purposely broken to prevent the creature from harming the deceased.

Friday, March 30, 2012

With pastures withered from a lingering drought, farmers in Texas and northwest Louisiana have abandoned donkeys by the hundreds, turning them into wandering refugees that have severely tested animal rescue groups.

The nation's biggest donkey rescue group says that since March 2011, it has taken in nearly 800 donkeys abandoned in Texas, where ranchers mainly used the animals to guard their herds.

First, a tip - which I'm ashamed to admit we learned too late in my house - do NOT put your cat's litter box on a carpeted surface. I can almost guarantee that the cat will eventually treat the carpet around the litter box as part of the litter box.

Even though we moved the litter box to a tiled floor, our kitties occasionally returned to use the spot where the litter box used to be as an alternative bathroom.

I was delighted to receive an e-mail from CLEAN+GREEN with an offer to sample their products in celebration of Earth Month which is in April.

I received the Carpet & Upholstery product and the Wood & Tile product. Clean+Green labels state that their product "delivers instant results in a safe, non-toxic, eco-friendly, hypoallergenic and fragrance free solution – safe for pets, people and the planet!"

I couldn't wait to tackle that stained carpet where the litter box used to be, but how simple - no soaking, no scrubbing, no rinsing! I just sprayed the yellowed stains and let the area dry. The first application reduced the stain by about 80%. The next day, I sprayed again, and by afternoon, the stain was completely gone.

I applied Clean+Green Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner at the end of February and waited until now to write this review because I wanted to see if the "odor removal" claim really worked. The test would be to see if our cats returned to use the area again as an alternative to the litter box. I'm pleased to say that they did not. The stain is gone! The smell is gone! This is a great product!

I have also tried the Wood & Tile cleaner on a tiled floor under the litter box where the grout has become discolored. Just spray - and the grout is noticeably cleaner looking.

Two orphaned baby owls have moved in with Jimmy Robinson, park keeper at Longleat Safari and Adventure Park in England, where they are busy finding small places to hide. The tiny 6-week-old burrowing owlets, nicknamed Linford and Christie (after the gold-medal-winning British Olympian) were hatched in an incubator at a local hawk conservancy and need 24-hour care for another month.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

A Texas man is charged with shooting and killing his wife after one of their dogs pooped in the house.

Michael Stephen Stolz, 76, told police that he first shot the defecating dog—a German Shepherd mix. Then he shot the couple's other dog, a Rottweiler. His wife Bernice, 49, was screaming as he shot the dogs ... so he shot her, too, he said. He claimed he meant to shoot himself as well but ran out of bullets.

Kim Salerno is the President & Founder of TripsWithPets.com. She founded the pet travel site in 2003 and is an expert in the field of pet travel. Her popular web site features pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the US and Canada, along with other helpful pet travel resources. Her mission is to ensure that pets are welcome, happy, and safe in their travels.

Top 10 Pre-Moving Day Tips for Pets

If you're planning a move with your pet, it's important to do some homework and be prepared. Moving has the potential to create a lot of anxiety for pets...particularly for older pets, most cats, and skittish pets. Pre-move preparation is the key to helping ensure your move goes as smoothly as possible for your pet and you.

Here are the top 10 pre-moving day tips for pets:

1. Pet Laws and Regulations: Become familiar with the state/province leash laws, pet ordinances, and pet licensing requirements. For state/province laws, contact the State Department of Agriculture or State Veterinarian's office. For local ordinances, contact the City Clerks' office, local humane organization, or animal control facility in the area in which you'll be relocating. If you are planning to rent a house or apartment, be sure to carefully review the lease to ensure that pets are allowed before you move in.

2. A Trip to Your Pet's Vet: It's important to be sure that your pet is up to date on all vaccinations and has a thorough check-up before you move. Get a copy of all your pet's medical records (as their new vet will need them), as well as a health certificate. If your pet is on any medication, make sure you get it refilled. If your pet is not a good traveler, discuss this with your vet. If after trying behavior modification training to no avail, your vet may recommend some medications or natural calming supplements to helps ease your pet's travel anxiety.

3. Secure a New Vet: Be sure to have a new veterinarian lined up before you move. Ask your current vet for a referral or research online for new veterinarian.

4. New Identification Tag: Get a new pet ID tag that includes your pet's name, your name, new address and telephone number.

5. Routine, Routine Routine: Pets are creatures of habit and love routine. Do your best to not throw off their routine by gradually packing over a period of time. The less commotion and more normalcy, the better!

6. Secure Your Pet in Car: Have a plan for how you're going to properly secure your pet in your vehicle. This is a crucial element of pet travel that is not taken seriously enough. The reality is that hundreds of pets are injured or even killed each year because they are allowed free reign in cars, trucks, RVs, and SUVs. Even more real is the toll in human life and property damage caused when an "enthusiastic" animal distracts a driver, leading to an accident. Vehicle pet barriers, pet seat belts, pet car seats, and pet travel crates are all excellent ways to keep your pet (and you) safe when traveling in your vehicle. It's important to familiarize your pet with the vehicle restraint of choice weeks or months before traveling so that they are comfortable.

7. Secure Pet Friendly Accommodations in Advance: If your move is such that you'll need to make overnight stops along the way, be sure to secure these accommodations before you hit the road. Pet policies do change some times without notice and accommodations may be limited so it's recommended that you book pet friendly hotels in advance.

8. Plan Ahead for Air Travel: Check with your veterinarian and the airline if your pet will be flying. The airline will require a health certificate issued by your vet. You'll also want to purchase an appropriate airline approved pet carrier. Be sure you take the time to familiarize your pet with it at least one
month prior to travel.

9. Calm Energy: Even though moving is typically a crazy and hectic time for you, it's important to keep yourself as calm and relaxed as possible. We all know that our pets sense our energy and when we're amped up, they get stress. So, whatever works for you to keep your sense of calm, do it!

10. Tell Your Pet: This may seem out there to some, BUT, have a talk with your pet letting them know about the move. Let them know what to expect on moving day, about the new house, the yard, etc... If nothing else, it will make you feel better, which in turn will help your pet.

Moving to a new home with your pet doesn't have to be stressful if you are prepared and plan ahead!

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness Although a tear may be ever so near
That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile what’s the use of crying
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you’ll just
Smile

Both known and unknown toxins can be found hiding in our houses and yards. In 2011, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, fielded more than 165,900 phone calls about pets exposed to poisonous substances.

Earlier this month, politicians in Iowa bowed to corporate pressure when they passed a law designed to stifle public debate and keep consumers in the dark. Instead of confronting animal cruelty on factory farms, the top egg- and pork-producing state is now in the business of covering it up.

HF 589 criminalizes investigative journalists and animal protection advocates who take entry-level jobs at factory farms in order to document the rampant food safety and animal welfare abuses within. In recent years, these undercover videos have spurred changes in our food system by showing consumers the disturbing truth about where most of today's meat, eggs, and dairy is produced. Undercover investigations have directly led to America's largest meat recalls, as well as to the closure of several slaughterhouses that had egregiously cruel animal handling practices. Iowa's Ag Gag law -- along with similar bills pending in other states -- illustrates just how desperate these industries are to keep this information from getting out.

If you need some extra cash, a new career or just have some spare time on your hands, becoming a professional dog walker could be the answer! In fact, it's one of the easiest business start-ups you could think of and requires considerably less time, money and responsibility than the majority of business/services out there.

There are a huge number of upsides to becoming a professional dog walker. The flexible hours, long walks and time with our furry friends to name a few. But as with any job, it does come with its responsibilities.

But how would you go about becoming a dog walker? Well as I said, it's a reasonably simple process, and with a bit of hard word and commitment you could be walking your first clients pooch in no time.

The first thing you'll need to think about is your inventory. Dog leads, bowls, food, treats, toys and waste bags should be the first things on your list. You'll also need to think about potential walks to take your customers dogs on and how many dogs you can manage to look after at the same time. One of the most important things to set up is your insurance. This would be probably be your biggest expenditure, but shop around and you'll find it fairly cheap (and you can pay monthly).

Once you're ready to get started you'll need to begin the process of finding customers. I always recommend starting off by asking friends and family to spread the word about your new service. Nine out of ten times you'll get your first client this way. It's surprising how sometimes, word of mouth is all you need to build up a regular customer base – especially in a small town.

Your main tool when advertising and gaining exposure should be the internet. I'd start off by getting business cards printed. This can be very cheap either online or in your local printers. Handing these out in pet shops etc (you could also get flyers printed) is a sure way to spread the word.

Facebook, Twitter and Google Places are all websites you can use to advertise for free and a lot of time this is all you'll need to do to get enough customers to start off. There are also a ton of free local classified websites you can use and country and city specific Dog walker directories.

I have of course, simplified this entire process for the purposes of a blog post but hopefully you get the idea. I really believe that with a small amount of commitment and hard work, becoming a professional dog walker is one of the easiest and simplest business start ups you'll find.

Amid the skyscrapers, sidewalks and subways of New York City, scientists have discovered a new species of frog within view of the Statue of Liberty. In fact, the researchers who discovered the frog say the center of its range is Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The newly identified animal is among more than a dozen distinct leopard frog species. And, while it's fairly common to find new species of animals in the remote wildness or in rain forests, to discover one in marshes and ponds within an urban area such as New York is nothing short of amazing.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

We're all used to scooping poop. But who says the box you scoop it from has to be boring? Modernist Cat wants to revolutionize the way you think about your cat's litterbox by putting it inside a beautiful handmade cabinet.

Crystal Gregory of Modernist Cat has been taking the litterbox to the next level since 2009. And she's giving Catster readers the chance to take home the model her celebrity clients are nuts for.

Vito Corleone's cat was his only animal associate and was seen sitting on Don Vito's lap while he sat in his office during Connie Corleone's wedding ceremony.

The cat held by Marlon Brando in the opening scene was a stray Francis Ford Coppola found while on the lot at Paramount. The cat was not originally called for in the script, and the cat with its purring muffled some of Brando's dialogue, and, as a result, most of his lines had to be looped